In Rabat, the President of the Canary Islands significantly altered his stance on Morocco. After praising the kingdom's cooperation in combating irregular immigration, Fernando Clavijo surprised everyone with an announcement on Western Sahara. With Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, «we discussed the Sahara issue. The government of the Canary Islands fully adopts the policy of the Spanish government, because it could not be otherwise. This support has fostered a climate of trust and cooperation, as we agreed today with the Minister», he declared. «Undoubtedly, this marks a new phase. The world is changing, not necessarily everywhere for the better, but we're committed to making Morocco, Spain, and the Canary Islands better», Clavijo stressed. On March 22, 2022, Fernando Clavijo condemned Pedro Sánchez's support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for Western Sahara. As a senator and leader of the Canary Islands Coalition, he called on the head of the government to revise his support for the Kingdom and «respect the United Nations resolutions, which guarantee the Saharawi people's right to self-determination». Clavijo's new position, expressed from Rabat, disappointed the Polisario. «During his visit to Morocco, the President of the Canary Islands declared that he 'fully' assumes the Spanish government's position on Western Sahara. This position contradicts international law and the rulings of the European Union Court of Justice», denounced the Polisario representative in Spain, Abdellah Arabi, in a press release. «Adopting a position that denies the legitimate rights of the people of Western Sahara to self-determination and independence is tantamount to contravening international legality and ignoring the decisions of the European Union's highest court», he said.
